Talentless hack and way out of his depth grifter who knows the position he has reached and the money he makes in it is really just supported by cultivate connections and his bullshiting ability, rather than any superior strategical capabilities, when the business “strategy” he chose as CEO merelly because “everybody else is doing it” starts to be perceived as not just broken but a bit of a shit show, keeps on trying to push the impression that, actually, he’s just a misunderstood visionary and it’s others that don’t yet recognize how wonderful the direction he chose for the company is.

By using such arguments maybe once again “fake it until you make it” will work for him (it always has, since that’s how he became MS’ CEO in the first place) and at worst he’ll just extend how long he can keep on getting paid the big bucks for nothing more than being a lucky bullshitter with the right connections.

I’ve been in Tech on and off since the 90s, including in Tech Startups, and nowadays “leaders” in it are pretty much all grifters.

I’ve been reading the posts here and most people are coming from a “decent honest person trying to do his jobs as well as possible” point of view (probably because that’s the kind of person they are) and giving this guy the benefit of the doubt, whilst from what I’ve seen in that world this guy is almost certainly a talentless hack at anything other than grifting and who, lacking any above average strategical thinking abilities, went for the “everybody else is doing it” strategy which is now blowing up, so of course he’s using typical grifter skills to try and dig his way out of that whole or, at least, stave off the innevitable end of getting big fat $$$ for holding a position he’s not actually competent at.

The guy is gaslighting because he’s a grifter not a strategist and “it’s others, not me” is a common “defend & delay” tool in a grifter’s toolbox.